Atkins has been involved in tunnelling projects globally since 1961, with over 780km of completed work, including significant projects like the Crossrail in London and the Channel Tunnel connecting the UK and France. The document highlights various projects across different countries, detailing their scope, challenges, and contributions, such as improving infrastructure and enhancing public transport systems. Key projects mentioned include the Dublin Metro, Gautrain in South Africa, and the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme in Hong Kong.

1. Atkins’ tunnels
A selection of our tunnelling projects around the world

2. Atkins has been working on tunnelling projects since 1961. Our first tunnelling
project was completing the tunnel and station designs for a major extension of the
Toronto Subway in Canada (which also happened to be Atkins’ first ever project in
North America).
In total, we’ve been involved in over 780km of tunnelling projects around the
world.
In this slideshow, you’ll find a selection of some of the tunnelling projects Atkins
has worked on.

3. Crossrail (tunnel design)
London, UK
Atkins was awarded the architectural component
contract for all the stations and associated
structures on the Crossrail project. Crossrail is a
new railway under construction beneath London
and through the south-east of England; it comprises
21km of twin bore tunnels along its 118 km route.
All the central London tunnels will be connected by
the first quarter of 2015, with Crossrail scheduled to
be fully operational by 2018.
Read more >

4. Crossrail (asset protection)
London, UK
The Crossrail project includes upgrades to 28 existing
surface stations and construction of nine new
underground stations in London. The works in the central
area comprise the excavation of below ground ticket
halls, running tunnels, station platform tunnels and
access passages with links to existing London
Underground stations. Atkins' engineers have been
responsible for the damage assessment and the design
of mitigation to protect 3rd party assets from settlement
induced damage.
Read more >

5. Belfast Sewers
Belfast, UK
Atkins provided project management, planning,
preliminary design, contract supervision and
administration to improve water quality in the River
Lagan. The project will reduce flood risk in the area
and rehabilitate and upgrade the Victorian sewer
system in Belfast. The scale of the project is
immense, including the construction of 9.5km of
tunnels, 21 access shafts and a pumping station
housed in Belfast's deepest and largest excavation.
Read more >

6. Channel Tunnel
Kent, UK / Calais, France
The Channel Tunnel is a 50.5km rail tunnel linking
Folkestone, Kent, in the United Kingdom, with
Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais in northern France, beneath
the English Channel. The tunnel has the longest
undersea portion of any tunnel in the world. Atkins
was appointed “Maître d’Oeuvre” (independent
engineering project manager) in 1980, in a joint
venture with French engineering consultancy SETEC,
providing supervision and project management for the
design and construction of all aspects of the work.
Read more >

7. A3 Hindhead Bypass
Hindhead, UK
The A3 bypass at Hindhead was constructed to
improve road safety, reduce congestion and improve
air quality. Running beneath Devil's Punch Bowl, a site
of Special Scientific Interest, the new dual carriageway
includes the longest non-estuary underpass in the UK
– 1.83km of twin bored tunnels. The Highways Agency
commissioned Atkins for design, geotechnical advice,
site supervision, tender and contract documentation,
noise and air quality assessments, and expert witness
services.
Read more >

8. Bond Street Station
London, UK
The Bond Street Station Upgrade project is a large,
complex, urban infrastructure project delivered in a
location with numerous site constraints (construction
activity on and around Oxford Street, Europe’s busiest
street), and a significant number of influential and
sensitive stakeholders. Atkins has been involved with
the project since 2007 and has provided a multidiscipline
design service with lead designers for the tunnelling,
architectural, station planning and mechanical, electrical
and public health (MEP) design elements. Completion of
the construction works is due in 2017.
Read more >

9. Heathrow Airport Tunnels
London, UK
On behalf of Heathrow Airport Ltd, Atkins has
assessed options for the upgrade of fire and life
safety systems in two major road tunnels at
Heathrow Airport, the third busiest airport in the
world by total passenger traffic. Atkins adopted a
performance-based design approach with detailed
risk analysis to determine the optimum tunnel safety
upgrade provisions for fire protection, evacuation
and ventilation systems.
Read more >

10. Silvertown Tunnel
London, UK
Transport for London is developing a new river
crossing in East London to ease the strain on the
existing crossings. The proposed Silvertown Tunnel
is a new road tunnel between Silvertown and North
Greenwich. This would relieve congestion at the
Blackwall Tunnel by providing an alternative route
between the Royal Docks, Isle of Dogs, Lower Lea
Valley and Greenwich Peninsula. Atkins has been
commissioned to carry out the reference design for
the tunnel.
Read more >

11. CERN AWAKE Adit
Switzerland
Atkins is providing tunnelling services for an adit constructed
at the world’s largest scientific experimental complex at
CERN, close to the Swiss-French border. This project
comprised the adit design and tender construction drawings,
with advice on award of the construction contract; followed by
site support during construction. Some aspects of the work
had to be to laboratory standards and there were strict dust
control measures because of the client’s scientific equipment.
Spoil was checked for radiation before disposal at landfill.
CERN’s specification included design requirements for
seismic loading and also for fire precautions.
Read more >

12. Gautrain Rapid Rail Link
Gauteng, South Africa
Atkins delivered three major design packages for
the Gautrain in South Africa - the continent’s first
high speed rail system. The 80km of railway link
Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sandton and OR Tambo
International Airport. Atkins’ innovative low carbon
cooling system alleviated the need to air condition
public spaces within the underground stations,
representing a carbon emissions saving of 9,200
tonnes per annum. Gautrain opened to the public in
June 2012.
Read more >

13. Dubai Metro
Dubai, UAE
Atkins provided full multidisciplinary design and
management of the civil works on Dubai Metro
which included geotechnical and site
investigations, bored tunnels and viaducts and
bridges. The first line of the Dubai Metro opened
to the public in September 2009. It is the longest
automated, driverless system in the world and has
eased traffic congestion by improving mobility
throughout Dubai.
Read more >

14. Express Rail Link
China / Hong Kong
The Express Rail Link will be a dedicated high
speed railway corridor through Hong Kong
connecting to the high speed rail network in
Mainland China. Trains on the Hong Kong section
are intended to operate at speeds of up to 200kph.
The project includes challenging sections of TBM
driven tunnelling under existing developments
requiring strict control of ground movements and
extensive instrumentation and monitoring. The
bored tunnels also had to pass directly under the
existing Tsuen Wan MTR Line with limited
separation.
Read more >

15. Harbour Area Treatment
Scheme
Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
The Harbour Area Treatment Scheme system will
collect and convey sewage along the shoreline of
Hong Kong Island to the treatment works before
final disposal into the western harbour. Atkins was
employed to be the consultant firm for the
geotechnical and structural elements of the
contractor’s design. The scheme is one of the
largest ever sewerage infrastructure projects in
Hong Kong.
Read more >

16. West Island Line
Hong Kong
Atkins (in a joint venture) is the lead consultant for
the detailed design of this 3km section of the
extension to the MTRC West Island Line. There
are two stations at Sai Ying Pun and University,
both of which will be constructed in cavern. Much
of the tunnelling work is very challenging as it
involves tunnelling in soft ground under existing
buildings in close proximity to their foundations.
Read more >

17. Central Wanchai Bypass
Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
Atkins has worked on the construction of an
underground box structure beneath the Victoria
Harbour on the Hong Kong Island. When this HK$5.5
billion project is completed, it will form part of the
underpass linking Central and North Point. The major
scope of Atkins’ work includes the design of the
temporary sea walls and reclamation with a total area
of 51,000m2, and the design of the excavation method
and sequence for constructing the two sections of
tunnel box structures with a total length of 710m.
Read more >

18. Shatin to Central Link
Hong Kong
Atkins is playing a key role on the Shatin to Central
Link of Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway, which
forms part of the link between Hong Kong Island and
Mainland China. We’ve been appointed lead
consultant for the preliminary design studies on the
North-South Corridor and sub-consultant on
preliminary design of the East-West Corridor. We are
also responsible for the detailed design of the tunnels
associated with Hung Hom Station. A key challenge
for the station has been developing an efficient
interchange with existing and planned lines and
working in and around an operating railway.
Read more >

19. Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary
Control Point
Hong Kong
This project is one of the major construction contracts
for a new cross-boundary connection in Hong Kong. It
will provide a strategic and direct new transport link to
serve the cross-boundary goods vehicles and
passengers travelling between the northeast New
Territories and Shenzhen East on Mainland China.
Atkins is the design consultant for the 4.8km long dual
two-lane tunnel.
Read more >

20. Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link
Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
Atkins is the independent design checker for the
Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link northern
connection subsea tunnel section. The project
involves construction of 4.5km of dual 2-lane
carriageways under the seabed to connect the
Tuen Mun area and the Hong Kong Boundary
Crossing Facilities adjacent to the Hong Kong
International Airport.
Read more >

21. Courtesy of Edward Kraemer & Sons
I-70 Twin Tunnels
Colorado, North America
Atkins provided construction management on the
project to widen eastbound Interstate 70 to
accommodate three traffic lanes, as well as
building a new bridge and 1.6 miles of retaining
walls. I-70 is one of the nation’s major east-west
transportation corridors, carrying high volumes of
commuter traffic and the $60 million project is the
result of more than ten years of environmental
study by the Colorado Department of
Transportation.
Read more >

22. Brightwater
Washington, North America
The Brightwater Tunnel is part of a sanitary sewer
system upgrade to serve portions of King County,
Washington. Atkins’ geospatial professionals provided
high-order horizontal and vertical tunnel control to
accurately determine the location in three dimensions,
as well as pitch and roll of the tunnel front, mid, and
tail shields. The project required data to an accuracy of
2 inches over 8 miles of tunnels, which Atkins
successfully accomplished without a direct connection
to the surface.
Read more >

23. Find out more…
http://www.atkinsglobal.com/en-GB/group/sectors-and-
services/services/tunnelling-and-underground-space